Shooting

We drove out to the "Hill Inn" in Chapel-le-Dale via Harrogate Skipton and Settle, and arrived at a quarter to nine, having stopped to cook breakfast just outside Settle. Ingleborough was our first objective, and as with all three hills we tackled it unknowingly from its steepest side. It took us under an hour to get up in spite of detours round a maze of dry-stone walls. Mr. Cooper's theory was that one saved at least 30 seconds by going through a gate, but the wireencumbered gates of the Pennines are not so accommodating.

From the top of Ingleborough we went a little out of our way to visit Gaping Ghyll Pot-hole with its 300 ft. drop. We then went straight over the lower slopes of Simon Fell to Harton-in-Ribblesdale, where "mine-host" of the pub. refused to take pity on our raging thirsts. Pen-y-Ghent looked so forbidding that we stopped by a stream for lunch and a conference. A direct ascent was favoured by two votes to one, and in fact turned out to be quite easy. We reached the top at 1-30 p.m. For the next 3 hours we jumped streams, hopped over boulders and tripped over tussocks of grass and heathpr in crossing the 8 miles between Pen-y-Ghent and Whernside. Eventually, having contoured for 2 miles round a miniature Everest in pursuit of a railway tunnel, we crossed over the railway onto the slopes of Whernside. We rested for a few moments by a 100 ft. waterfall and then dragged ourselves painfully to the top. Only gravity enabled us to reach the bottom again, but we were helped considerably over the last few yards to the "Hill Inn" by an old sow with the gleam of battle in her eyes.

A most welcome high tea was eaten, and at a quarter to eight we left the inn and drove back by Hawes, Bedale and Boroughbridge to York, which we reached at 10 o'clock, dead lame but content. D. J.0.

The term has been taken up chiefly with the completion of classification and the preparing of our first Bisley team.

Classification results have been very satisfactory and the figures are :-

Over 16 years : Marksman (73 out of 80) 1st Class (62 out of 80) ... 2nd Class ... Failed ... 57 61 42 1

15-16 years : Qualified .•. Failed ... 78 6

After tie shoots, the following awards were made :-

Cup and Medal for Individual Shot : Penman, Beckitt.

Runner-up : Wilson, R. B.

Medal for 15-16 Age Group: Garbutt.

Runner-up: Lowley. Recruit Cup and Medal: Garbutt.

Runner-up: High. The Aggregate Cup (for the highest average) was won by The Rise (71.4 points).

We had fifteen practices at Strensall for the "Ashburton", and gradually an VIII emerged. Some of the younger shots, for part of the season's work has been to build for the future, show considerable promise, and the VIII itself was potentially good. However, the difficulty which has pursued us all the year remained : inconsistency of performance. Few members were able to find their form and then hold it. Indeed, the first time when all shot up to or above their form was in the "Gale and Polden" during the Wednesday at Bisley. On this occasion only one member of the team scored a magpie, and the total score would have placed us about half-way down the "Ashburton" list : not too bad a result for a team built up in two months. But, alas, next day, in the "Ashburton", the old trouble reappeared, and two of the most reliable members of the team came to grief. The competition is very stern, and no team can carry scores below 58 or 60, with the result that we placed in the last ten—the exact result is awaited. This was a great disappointment, but the experience has been well worth while, and we have learned much. Five of the team will be available next year, and if it proves possible to have one or two shoulder-to-shoulder matches, great benefit would follow.

Actual "Ashburton" scores were :-

J. 0. R. Penman R. Atkinson J. B. Huzzard R. B. Wilson I. E. F. Morton N. J. Bell A. J. Isherwood J. R. Maxwell 200 yds. 500 yds. Total 28 32 60 24 30 54 28 28 56 23 22 45 31 31 62 30 31 61 31 30 61 30 30 60

Total 459

Shooting now ranks as a major sport and a new tie and blazer have been devised, though perhaps "new" is an inappropriate word, for they have been based on now-extinct 2nd XI colours. The tie is black with pairs of narrow gold stripes diagonally, and the blazer is black with gold braid and crossed-rifle badge.

We entered again for the East and West Riding District Competition, but it is not permissible to enter the Bisley VIII, and our team was not quite able to overcome this handicap. Nevertheless, we were placed third, and were by no means outclassed. 66